Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39939579›Full record

ArticleNature communications2025

Fungal Als proteins hijack host death effector domains to promote inflammasome signaling.

Tingting Zhou, Norma V Solis, Michaela Marshall, Qing Yao, Eric Pearlman, Scott G Filler, Haoping Liu

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Nature communications, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 8 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
8citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

8 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Review
  3. Review
  4. Review
  5. Review
  6. Article
  7. Review
  8. Microorganisms · 2025
    Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

Tingting ZhouDepartment of Biological Chemistry, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA.
Norma V SolisDivision of Infectious Diseases, Lundquist Institute for Biomedical Innovation at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, Torrance, CA, USA.
Michaela MarshallDepartment of Physiology and Biophysics, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9381-780X
Qing YaoDivision of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA.
Eric PearlmanDepartment of Physiology and Biophysics, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-0137-7582
Scott G FillerDivision of Infectious Diseases, Lundquist Institute for Biomedical Innovation at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, Torrance, CA, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7278-3700
Haoping LiuDepartment of Biological Chemistry, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA. h4liu@uci.edu.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-3489-7103

Funding

Signal sensing, hyphal development and pathognesis of Candida albicansR01GM117111 · NIGMS · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA-IRVINE · PI LIU, HAOPING · 2017 to 2024
$3.8M
The role of monocytes and neutrophils in fungal keratitisR01EY036478 · NEI · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA-IRVINE · PI Eric Pearlman · 2024 to 2026
$1.7M
NEI NIH HHS R01 EY036478NIGMS NIH HHS R01 GM117111U.S. Department of Health & Human Services | NIH | National Eye Institute (NEI) R01EY036478U.S. Department of Health & Human Services | NIH | National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) R01GM117111
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

High-damaging Candida albicans strains tend to form hyphae and exacerbate intestinal inflammation in ulcerative colitis patients through IL-1β-dependent mechanisms. Fungal agglutinin-like sequence (Als) proteins worsen DSS-induced colitis in mouse models. FADD and caspase-8 are important regulators of gut homeostasis and inflammation. However, whether they link directly to fungal proteins is not fully understood. Here, we report that Als proteins induce IL-1β release in immune cells. We show that hyphal Als3 is internalized in macrophages and interacts with caspase-8 and the inflammasome adaptor apoptosis-associated speck-like protein containing a CARD (ASC). Caspase-8 is essential for Als3-mediated ASC oligomerization and IL-1β processing. In non-immune cells, Als3 is associated with cell death core components FADD and caspase-8. N-terminal Als3 (N-Als3) expressed in Jurkat cells partially inhibits apoptosis. Mechanistically, N-Als3 promotes oligomerization of FADD and caspase-8 through their death effector domains (DEDs). N-Als3 variants with a mutation in the peptide-binding cavity or amyloid-forming region are impaired in DED oligomerization. Together, these results demonstrate that DEDs are intracellular sensors of Als3. This study identifies additional potential targets to control hypha-induced inflammation.

Indexed as

Candida albicansFungal ProteinsInflammasomesAnimalsApoptosisCARD Signaling Adaptor ProteinsCaspase 8ColitisFas-Associated Death Domain ProteinHumansInterleukin-1betaJurkat CellsMacrophagesMiceMice, Inbred C57BLSignal TransductionCARD Signaling Adaptor ProteinsCaspase 8Fas-Associated Death Domain ProteinFungal ProteinsInflammasomesInterleukin-1betaPYCARD protein, human

Identifiers

PMID39939579
PMCPMC11821908

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.